Locking mechanism for file cabinets



July 18, 1967 w. H. KAFFERUN 3,33,644

' LOCKING MECHANISM FOR FILE CABINETS INVENTOR WILL. IMA H- /nfrc/eL//u Moa,

July 18, 1967 w. H. KAFFERLIN LOCKING MECHANISM FOR FILE CABINETS Filed Jan. 24, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR July 18, 1967 w. H. KAFFERLIN 3,33,644

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR FILE CABINETS Filed Jan. 24, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 r/ss . INVENTOR WILL/AM H. K/rrsmm United States Patent 3,331,644 LOCKING MECHANISM FOR FILE CABINETS William H. Katferlin, Spring Creek, Pa., assigner to Corry Jamestown Corporation, Corry, Pa., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,606 14 Claims. (Cl. 312-218) This invention relates to furniture and, more particularly, to tiling cabinets and security locking devices for tiling cabinets.

Filing cabinets used to contain secret and confidential documents are frequently locked by a vertical rod passed through the handles of the respective drawers of the filing cabinet and the upper end of the rod locked to a lug fLxed to the top of the tiling cabinet. It has been discovered that a locking rod to serve the same purpose which will be equally secure and much more pleasing in appearance and convenient can be built into the filing cabinet itself and locked in one position to hold the drawers in locked relation while the rod can be unlocked and moved to a released position, all by means of a rotatable locking body disposed inside the cabinet with an end received when locked in a slot of a hasp. The locking body has a hole in its front end which receives a padlock that holds the hasp in place.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide an improved locking device for a tiling cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device for a filing cabinet which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and positive in use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved lock for 'a multi-drawer -fling cabinet.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacriicin-g any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a ling cabinet according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the iiling cabinet;

FIG. 3 is in enlarged partial front View of the tiling cabinet;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional View taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the fastening device on the side of the drawer shown in FIG. 6.

Now with more pa-rticular reference to the drawings, the ling cabinet indicated generally at 10 has a front 11, sides 12, top 13, and drawers 14, 15, 16, and 17 all of a conventional type in tandem one on top of the other. The drawers have the conventional handles 18, 19, 20, and 21 and coventional card holders 22, 23, 24, and 25.

The improved locking device is shown most particularly in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6. The locking device is made up generally of the locking bar 50, which is slidable upwardly and downwardly and is moved up and down by the crank pin 43 which is fixed t-o the rear end of the lockin-g body 29.

The locking body 29 is generally cylindrical in shape with an integral lug 28 on its front end. The cylindrical body extends through a hole in the front 11 of the filing r cabinet and extends through holes 80 and 81 in spaced legs 37 and 38 of the bracket 36. Thus, the body 29 is rotatably supported by the bracket 36 at its rear end and by the front 11 of the filing cabinet at its front end.

The bracket 36 extends rearwardly at 40 to the leg 41; thence again laterally, then rearward-ly to the leg 42. The The leg 42 extends through a hole in the rear leg 55 of support bracket 52. The support bracket may be an angle with a vertical leg 53 att-ached to the side 12 of the tiling cabinet and a bottom leg 54 extending perpendicular inwardly from the side 12, and a rear -leg extending upwardly from the bottom leg 54 and outwardly from the leg 53.

The body 29 terminates at its front end in the integral lug 28 which is in the form of a flattened portion as indicated best in FIGS. 3 and 5. The lug 28 is received in the slot between the legs and 61 of the hasp 26.

The hasp 26 has one part that is disposed parallel to the front 11 of the filing cabinet and slides thereon. The par-t has studs 30 and 31 fixed to it and extending through the slots 32 and 33 on the front of the ling cabinet. The studs 30 and 31 have nuts and lock washers on Ithem which allow the studs to freely slide in the slots 32 and 33 but prevent them from being withdrawn. The hasp has a bifurcated part 27 integral with the first part and is disposed outwardly from the front 11 of the filing cabinet and disposed parallel to the part having the studs 30 and 31 integrally attached thereto. The bifurcated part 27 is bent outwardly to form the legs 62 and 63 which are disposed generally perpendicular to the bifurcated part 27 and which lie along the side of the hole in the lug 28. The hole in the lug 28 is adapted to receive the shackle of a padlock indicated generally at 35 which has a shackle that extends through the hole in body 29 and is disposed in front of the bifurcated part 27 deiining legs 60 and 61 and to the side of the parts 62 and 63 so that when in this position, the hasp cannot be slid to the left nor can the locking body be rotated to thereby lift bar 50.

A catch member 45 is supported on the inside of the front of the tiling cabinet and it has a part generally parallel to the front. The catch is bent to a U-shape as shown, and has a detent groove 47 formed in it. The catch 45 has a hole therein indicated at 64 through which the locking body 29 extends. A pin 46 extends through the locking body and when the locking body is rotated to the locked position, the pin rests in the -groove 47. When the locking body is rotated to the unlocked position which is ninety de-grees to the locked position, the pin will be out of the groove 47 and will overlie a part of the front side of catch 45.

The rear end of the body 29 has a crank pin 43 fixed thereto. The crank pin 43 is spaced from the axis of rotation of the body 29 and extends rearwardly therefrom. The pin 43 is received in the eye 48 of the body 49. The body 49 is fixed to the locking bar 5t) and the pin 43 is held to the body 49 by means of the spring washers 44 which are in the form of rings.

It will be noted that the bracket 36 has spaced legs 37, 38, and 41 generally parallel to each other with an intermediate part indicated at 39 and 40 therebetween. Leg 41 extends from the leg 38 to the leg 41 and the intermediate part 39 is disposed between the legs 37 and 38.

The locking bar 5i) has the spaced latches 53 attached to it. The bar Si) slides between saddle members 51 in each of the drawer slides 52. These saddle members positively prevent the bar 50 from shifting to the lfront or to the back and restrain it to move in a vertical line.

T'he latches 53 are folded ,around the bar 50 and clamped to it by means of bolts 54. The intermediate part 58 of the latch 53 extends rearwardly and toward the -side of the drawer and terminates in end 57. A tab 57A is turned inwardly adjacent the end 57 and defines a cleft as shown.

The catches 55 are fixed to the drawers. They have an intermediate leg 72 which supports the integral hook 70 in spaced pa-rallel relation to the side of the drawer. rihe hook 70 extends Aupwardly from the intermediate leg 72.

When the drawer is moved to closed position, the latch 53 moves under the intermediate le-g 72 and stops in front of it in the position shown in FIG. 6. Then when the drawer is locked, t-he bar 59 is lifted so that the end 57 lrests in front of the intermediate leg 72 and prevents the drawer from being pulled open. Since the hook 70 extends forward of the leg 72, it prevents the latch from moving off the end of the intermediate leg 72.

If the locking bar 50 is raised to the locked position before the drawer is closed, the rear edge 75 of the hook 70 will move into the cleft adjacent the tab 57A and provide a positive stop to prevent the drawe-r from being closed.

In a `security file, the drawer must be locked positively and if one drawer is not locked with the others, that drawer must be positively unlocked.

It will be noted that when the locking body is moved to the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the crank pin 43 will be rotated to the topmost position so that the locking bar 50 will be raised and the end 57 of latch 53 will be disposed directly in front of the intermediate leg 72 of the catch. Thus, the drawer will be positively held against opening. When the padlock 35 is removed from the hole in the body 29 and the hasp slid to the left so that the hasp :moves away from the lug 2S, the locking body will be rotated so that the 'crank pin 43 moves to the lowermost position, thus moving the locking bar 50 down and moving latches 53 to -a position below catches 55 so that the drawers may be freely opened and closed.

If the locking body is rotated to locked position, thereby lifting the locking bar 50 and the latches 53 attached thereto before some of the drawers a-re closed, those drawers cannot be closed since the tab 57A ywill engage the rear edge 75 of the hook 70, thereby positively holding such drawers in open position.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical `forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents wit-hout departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A locking device for furniture having a plurality of drawers disposed in tandem with each other comprising an elongated locking bar,

said locking bar having spaced locking means thereon disposed along its longer dimension and disposed adjacent each said ydrawer and adapted to engage cooperating locking means on each said drawer,

a lock body rotatably supported on said furniture,

said lock body having a longitudinal axis disposed gener-ally perpendicular to its longer dimension,

said lock body having means thereon connected to said locking bar adapted to .move said locking bar into locked position with said locking means on said drawers when sai-d lock body is rotated to a first position,

said lock body being adapted to move said locking bar to move said locking means out of engagement with said locking means on said drawers when said lock body is rotated to a second position,

and means adapted to be supported on the front of said furniture to lock said lock body in said -rst position.

2. The locking -device recited in claim 1 wherein said means on the front Vof said furniture comprises a hasp member,

said hasp member being adapted to be slidably supported on said furniture, Y.

said hasp member having a slot in one end thereof defined by two leg members,

one said leg member having an endV disposed at right Iangles to said hasp member,

said lock body having a flattened portion adapted to be received in said slot in said hasp member when said body is rotated to locked position,

and a hole in lthe end of said body adapted to receive the shackle of a padlock when said flattened, portion is received in said slot whereby said padlock shackle holds said hasp member against sliding away from said body and said legs restrain said body from rotating and therebyres-train said lockin-g means on said bar from moving from locking engagement with said drawers.

3. The locking device recited in claim 2 wherein saidmeans on said lock body connected to said locking bar comprises a crank pin fixed to said lock body and offset from the axis of rotation thereof,

and a body fixed to said bar and engaging said pin whereby said locking bar is lifted when said locking body is rotated in a first direction land'lowered when said locking body is rotated in a second direction whereby said locking body moves into locked and unlocked relation to said drawers.

4. The locking device recited in claim 1 wherein a catch member is adapted to be supported on said furniture,

a -detent groove is disposed in said catch member,

a catch pin is disposed in said locking body,

said catch pin is adapted to move into said detent groove when said locking body is moved to locked position, Y

and said catch pin is adapted to move out of said -groove when said lock body is moved to unlocked position.

5. The locking device recited in claim 3 wherein said locking device is supported on a filing cabinet having a 'front and sides,

-said lock body is supported on said filing cabinet by means of a bracket,

means supporting said bracket on said filing cabinet,

said leg having a first and a second leg spaced Vfrom each other and being disposed generally perpendicular to said locking body,

a hole in said first leg and a hole in said second leg of said bracket,

a hole in the front lpart of said filing cabinet,

said locking body extending through said holes.

6. The device recited in claim 5 wherein said bracket is formed of a flat member,

said first leg of said bracket and said second leg of said bracket being bent generally at rig-ht angles to a first intermediate part inbetween,

Va second intermediate part of said bracket attached to said second leg being bent generally at right angles thereto and extending -generally parallel to a side of said filing cabinet,

-a third leg of said'bracket being bent generally at right angles to said second intermediate part,

and a fourth leg extending Vfrom said third leg and disposed generally parallel to said side of 1said cabinet,

Y said fourth leg of said bracket comprising said rear end of said bracket,

' said fourth leg of said bracket being rotatably supsaid lock body comprises a `generally cylindrical member.

9. 'Ihe locking -device recited in claim 2 wherein said hasp member is made of a at .material having a rst part disposed generally parallel to said furniture,

spaced studs on said first part of said hasp member,

said studs being adapted to be received in spaced slots in said furniture and to be slidable therein,

said hasp member having a second part adapted to be spaced outwardly -from the front of said furniture,

said second part of said hasp member lbeing disposed generally parallel to said rst part and comprising said two leg members.

10. A locking `device for furniture having a plurality of drawers disposed in tandem with each other comprising an elongated locking bar,

said locking bar having spaced locking means thereon disposed along its longer dimension and disposed adjacent each said drawer and adapted to engage cooperating locking means on each said drawer,

means to move said locking bar upwardly to locked position and downwardly to unlocked position,

a catch xed to a side of each said drawer,

spaced latches attached to said bar and disposed below said catches when said bar is moved to the unlocked position,

said latches bein-g disposed in front of said catches when said drawers are closed and said bar is moved to a locked position,

and means on each said latch engaging a -rear part of each said catch when said bar is in locked position and any said drawer is in partially closed position whereby the said drawers that have not been fully closed prior to said bar being moved to locked position are prevented from being closed.

11. The locking ldevice 4recited in claim 10 wherein said means on each said latch comprises a tab defining a cleft adapted to receive each said catch when any said drawer is open after said bar is moved to unlocked position.

12. The locking device 'recited in claim 10 wherein each said catch has a laterally extending intermediate leg and a hook portion thereon disposed lgenerally parallel to a side of each -said drawer,

each said latch is attached to said locking bar and eX- tends rearwardly and toward said drawer and is adapted to engage said catch when said bar is moved to locked position,

and said catch `is adapted to move over top of said latch when said ba-r is in unlocked position,

said catch having a laterally extending tab thereon deiining a cleft adapted to engage said catch when said -bar is moved to locked position prior to closing a drawer whereby said drawer will be held from being moved to closed position.

13. The device recited in claim 1 wherein means is provided on said locking means to prevent said drawers xfrom closing after said locking means is locked.

14. The device recited in claim 6 wherein means is provided on the lower end of said locking bar to prevent any said drawer from closing after said locking means is locked.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,419 7/1958 Howard 312-218 2,886,392 5 195-9 Stegmaier 312-217 2,992,05 6 7/ 1961 Thielker 312-221 3,189,392 6/1965 Mehlig et al. 312--216 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primm Examiner. 

1. A LOCKING DEVICE FOR FURNITURE HAVING A PLURALITY OF DRAWERS DISPOSED IN TANDEM WITH EACH OTHER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED LOCKING BAR, SAID LOCKING BAR HAVING SPACED LOCKING MEANS THEREON DISPOSED ALONG ITS LONGER DIMENSION AND DISPOSED ADJACENT EACH SAID DRAWER AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE COOPERATING LOCKING MEANS ON EACH SAID DRAWER, A LOCK BODY ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID FURNITURE, SAID LOCK BODY HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS DISPOSED GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO ITS LONGER DIMENSION, SAID LOCK BODY HAVING MEANS THEREON CONNECTED TO SAID LOCKING BAR ADAPTED TO MOVE SAID LOCKING BAR INTO LOCKED POSITION WITH SAID LOCKING MEANS ON SAID DRAWERS WHEN SAID LOCK BODY IS ROTATED TO A FIRST POSITION, 